While you might have in mind the exact breed of puppy you want many people have to make this decision when thinking of buying a puppy, there are so many different breeds to choose from each possessing qualities of their own. However there is also another option available when buying a puppy and this is buying a mixed breed puppy.

A mixed breed puppy can be just as beautiful as a pure bred and they are just as intelligent, a mixed breed is a mixture of two different breeds of dog somewhere down the line. Depending on if it is a first generation mixed, for example the mother could be a Labrador and the father a German Shepard then the puppy could look very similar to either of its parents and have the traits associated with both.

If the mix breed has both parents who are themselves a mixed breed then the puppy will still have the genes of the original two purebreds only they will be more recessive. If you just want a puppy for a pet and companion then it really doesn’t matter if you choose a mixed breed, if however you want the puppy for show then of course you will have no choice but to choose a purebred.

The purebred dog

One of the benefits of having a purebred dog is that you will know exactly what it’s going to look like when the puppy grows into an adult dog and you will know how big it will get. All purebreds have predictable physical characteristics that don’t vary much, if you want a certain size dog, with a particular coat length and colour then you will be able to choose a breed matching those characteristics.

Purebred dogs will also have to some extent a predictable temperament, if you are looking for a friendly dog with lots of energy then choose a breed which are know for this character. On the downside the purebred dog is generally more prone to disease and ailments than the mixed breed; this is mainly down to genetics in the breeding. Certain breeds are prone to certain diseases and illnesses; also in certain breeds the incidence of defects is extremely high.

The mixed breed dog

Most times its not possible to predict what a mixed breed puppy will turn out like, of course if the owner of the mother of the puppies has a purebred dog and she knows that the father of the puppies is a purebred dog then you will have a general idea of the size of the puppies and to some extent what they will look like. Most puppies however come from a long line of mixed breed and there will be no way of determining what the puppies will look like or how big they can grow to.

However a mixed breed dog can be just as loving and make just as good a pet as any of the purebred dogs do, just because the puppy is of mixed breed doesn’t make it inferior in any way, of course you wont be able to show the dog, though sometimes county fairs will have a special section in shows for mixed breed dogs. This however is strictly for fun and is usually for the cutest puppy, ugliest dog e.t.c. it is really just a matter of preference when choosing to go for a purebred or mixed breed.

Just because someone proudly brags that their puppy is a pedigree and it’s registered by a kennel club doesn’t necessarily mean that their puppy is any better than yours. Being registered by a kennel club doesn’t automatically mean that the puppy is of superior quality to one which isn’t, the kennel club will register any puppy whose parents were registered and those parents were registered because their parents were registered, and so it goes on. Registration by a kennel club simply means that you filled in a form and paid your money to keep the chain of registration going.

What does the pedigree mean?

Again apply to the kennel club, fill in a form, pay your money and they will access their database and look for the long list of names of your puppy’s parents, grand parents, great grand parents e.t.c, as many of them and as far back as you wish to pay for. A pedigree is really just nothing more than a family tree that we humans can trace back to find our relatives; the dog hasn’t had to meet any specific requirements for behaviour, temperament, health or appearance.

Every single year there are thousands of litters which are registered by the kennel club with the majority of these puppies being poor quality and defiantly not worthy of showing. So if a breeder is offering puppies for a ridiculous amount of money just because they are pedigree and are kennel club registered don’t be fooled into thinking you are getting something special because you probably aren’t.

Do the papers prove the puppy is purebred?

Unfortunately not, purebred simply means that the ancestors can be traced back for many generations and they all have the same set of fixed genes. Fixed genes are what give the dog its colour; size, type of coat e.t.c, and having these genes are what makes the puppy a purebred, if the puppy doesn’t have these genes then the registration papers don’t mean anything.

Just because a puppy has papers doesn’t mean they are right or true, for example if the owner has two German Shepard for breeding but the female accidentally gets out and the mixed breed dog from down the road mates with her if the breeder is dishonest there is nothing stopping her from filling in the registration papers and claiming that her boxer male is the father. If the puppies take after their mum then the breeder may get away with it, and these puppies while having registration and pedigree are far from purebred puppies.

What are pedigrees and registration good for?

Pedigrees and registration papers are only really useful for the conscientious breeder; a breeder will use the pedigree to trace back the origins of a dog before considering breeding them. They will check the pedigrees to make sure that they aren’t breeding two dogs that are closely related, they also use them to check out temperament, physical build and health of as many ancestors as they can.